Royal Dutch Shell PLC shuts down pipeline in Nigeria oil delta over rampant thefts along it

LAGOS, Nigeria – Royal Dutch Shell PLC says it has shut down a major pipeline in Nigeria's oil-rich southern delta to remove points that thieves are using to steal crude from it.

Shell said Wednesday that its Nigerian subsidiary shut down the Nembe Creek Trunkline, halting production of around 150,000 barrels of oil a day. Shell said it had issued a force majeure warning on its Bonny Light crude oil exports — meaning that it is unable to meet the contracted demand for the crude.

Despite a government amnesty deal, crude oil thefts continue to rise in Nigeria.

Also Wednesday, Nigeria's state-run oil company announced production dipped to 2.1 million to 2.3 million barrels of oil a day in the first quarter of 2013 over the widespread thefts.